Baby Doll by Hollie Overton

Fewer things are more terrifying than the prospect of having your child taken from you, and living their life like Jaycee Dugard did for many years. Living in a squalid basement, birthing a child, and living in the confines of four small walls until one day the opportunity presents itself to run away and make a clean break. Is anything ever really wrapped up that pretty? No, of course it isn't. Just as in life, fiction also allows us this glimpse into the darker shades of humanity, the ones we don't even realize are there until it may be too late.   

Synopsis
Escape was just the beginning.

Held captive for eight years, Lily has grown from a teenager to an adult in a small basement prison. Her daughter Sky has been a captive her whole life. But one day their captor leaves the deadbolt unlocked.

This is what happens next... to Lily, to her twin sister, to her mother, to her daughter -- and to her captor.

The synopsis is short, sweet, and to the point, and just enough to intrigue the reader.

*This book was read via Netgalley, and was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.* 

Untethered by Julie Lawson Timmer

Julie Lawson Timmer is back, and this time we have a repeat of a story that tears right at the strings of your heart. Last year I read Five Days Left, and it really made me think. I love a book that roots around in your heart, and challenges your belief systems. In Five Days Left, she perfectly wove two stories together, and the result was a book that readers could not forget. I am happy to report that this title is not a disappointment, and readers will find themselves drawn into the narrative of Char's life, and the unifairness of Morgan's life, and a child protection service that is deeply flawed. Trithfully heartfelt, and wonderfully written, Untethered is a fine book to pick up this summer. 

  

Synopsis
Char Hawthorn, college professor, wife and stepmother to a spirited fifteen-year-old daughter, loves her family and the joyful rhythms of work and parenting. But when her husband dies in a car accident, the “step” in Char’s title suddenly matters a great deal. In the eyes of the law, all rights to daughter Allie belong to Lindy, Allie’s self-absorbed biological mother, who wants to girl to move to her home in California.

While Allie begins to struggle in school and tensions mount between her and Char, Allie’s connection to young Morgan, a ten-year-old-girl she tutors, seems to keep her grounded. But then Morgan, who was adopted out of foster care, suddenly disappears, and Char is left to wonder about a possible future without Allie and what to do about Morgan, a child caught up in a terrible crack in the system. 

Happy Reading!

You'll Grow Out Of It by Jessi Klein

It has been a while since a book has given me a belly laugh, and it was a welcome relief from the otherwise depressing news seen around the world. In You'll Grow Out Of It, author Jessi Klein remarks anecdotally about things as varied as "Cads" (man goobers) to Bar Method classes. My favorite chapter in the book was the one where she talked about The Bar Method. For those unfamiliar with The Bar Method, it is a workout that utilizes a ballet barre, and small pulsing movements that are incredibly challenging and leave you sore for days! She was absolutely spot on in her assessments, and I found myself with an affinity for Klein. I highly recommend this book for fans of Tina Fey and Amy Pohler. If you are looking for a reprieve from the sorrow of the world, this book offers just that and more. 

Synopsis

In YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT, Klein offers-through an incisive collection of real-life stories-a relentlessly funny yet poignant take on a variety of topics she has experienced along her strange journey to womanhood and beyond. These include her "transformation from Pippi Longstocking-esque tomboy to are-you-a-lesbian-or-what tom man," attempting to find watchable porn, and identifying the difference between being called "ma'am" and "miss" ("Miss sounds like you weigh ninety-nine pounds").

This book is unique in its feminine perspective and hilarious thoughts on life. I really loved it, and I think you will as well. Order the Book here

Happy Reading!

   

Sweet Summer Giveaway {Bliss, Beauty and Books + Lil Momma Reader}

Courtney from Bliss, Beauty and Books and I are teaming up to bring you one of the hottest summer reads! Believe me when we tell you that you will not want to pass up the opportunity to score this book in your beach bag. As a bonus, Courtney has some incredible beauty finds to add to this sweet summer giveaway. We are so excited to chat about Emily Giffin's newest novel First Comes Love. Share this love, and this package could soon be yours!

This giveaway features Emily Giffin's First Comes Love 

Plus a swag bag filled with Beautycounter Countertime Travel Essentials which includes soothing face wash, radiance firming complex, uplifting day cream, restorative night cream and vibrant eye protector and a makeup case! Perfect to toss into the beach bag along with your new EG book!

To enter you can take a picture of you and your siblings you hold dear (trust me, you'll understand when you read it!) and tag me (@lilmommareader and @blissbeautybooks) on Instagram.

Share this link on Twitter (@lilmommareader and @cortles21)

Share on Facebook and tag us! (Lil Momma Reader and Bliss, Beauty and Books)

Giveaway ends July 20, 2016 and a winner will be selected and notified via e-mail, U.S. only. This post is not sponsored. Thank you for entering! Best of luck!

xoxo,

Melody and Courtney

Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner

Featuring 

Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner

When the crackle of the police radio calls, Manon answers and finds herself stuck in the middle of a crime scene involving a bright, young student at Cambridge. Like watching the beginning of an episode of The First 48, there are a few clues that lie in wait, but nothing that completely cracks the case wide open. The small details will lead to the larger target and attempts to answer the question, "what has happened to Edith and who is responsible?" 

Synopsis via Amazon
At thirty-nine, Manon Bradshaw is a devoted and respected member of the Cambridgeshire police force, and though she loves her job, what she longs for is a personal life. Single and distant from her family, she wants a husband and children of her own. One night, after yet another disastrous Internet date, she turns on her police radio to help herself fall asleep—and receives an alert that sends her to a puzzling crime scene.

Edith Hind—a beautiful graduate student at Cambridge University and daughter of the surgeon to the Royal Family—has been missing for nearly twenty-four hours. Her home offers few clues: a smattering of blood in the kitchen, her keys and phone left behind, the front door ajar but showing no signs of forced entry. Manon instantly knows that this case will be big—and that every second is crucial to finding Edith alive.

The investigation starts with Edith’s loved ones: her attentive boyfriend, her reserved best friend, her patrician parents. As the search widens and press coverage reaches a frenzied pitch, secrets begin to emerge about Edith’s tangled love life and her erratic behavior leading up to her disappearance. With no clear leads, Manon summons every last bit of her skill and intuition to close the case, and what she discovers will have shocking consequences not just for Edith’s family but for Manon herself.

Suspenseful and keenly observed, Missing, Presumed is a brilliantly twisting novel of how we seek connection, grant forgiveness, and reveal the truth about who we are.

Happy Reading!